1st Platynota Babies!!!

Pearly

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Central Texas, Austin area
In June/July of 2013 I bought 10 babies from 3 different sellers. They were all 27-39 grams. For the first 6-9 months they didn't grow much and I was terrified that I was doing something wrong and that there was something about this species I didn't know or understand. In time they all started sprouting and by mid-2017 all 5 of the females had reached breeding size of 3000 or more grams. In August of 2017 I recorded weights of 3375, 3896, 3612, 3369 and 3789 for the females. Males were significantly smaller at 1559, 1454, 1065, 2283, and 1186.

As soon as they were all large enough to sex, I've had the females living separate from the males in different enclosures, indoors and out. I like to let females of every species grow up without being harassed by the maturing males. Males of this species aren't as aggressive/assertive as some other species, but they still did some occasional mounting and pushing and shoving of each other. The females never did any of that. Back in August of last year, once I saw the size my females had attained, I started putting all 10 of them together sometimes in the afternoon and evenings after soaking days. They really weren't together all that often. I had one female digging test holes soon after I started this practice. A different female was the first to lay on October 1st. She laid 8 eggs. Soon after, the test hole digger laid her first 7 eggs, then another, and another. I ended up getting multiple clutches from each female for a total of 84 eggs for the season. More than I could dreamed of for their first season and very limited contact with the males. To be honest, I really didn't expect any to hatch. First year moms, not much time with the males… I was hoping for at least a few babies from all the different clutches, but I really didn't expect any babies at all this first year.

Every morning I check the incubator. I make sure temp and humidity is correct, make sure there is enough water in my water tubs, check to see that the fans are running, make sure I don't smell any stinky rotten eggs, and, of course, I take a quick glance at all the eggs. These eggs sit there doing nothing for months. I check daily, but the eggs are just sitting there like usual day after day after day. Last night, Friday night, I worked a night job with my two malinois. We wrapped around 1am. I had to drive home, feed and potty the dogs, shower, clean tortoise waters for the next day and a few other chores before getting to bed. Then today, Saturday morning, I had to leave the house at 5am for a different job with a different dog. With so little sleep and so much to do, I didn't bother with checking the eggs this morning. When my job was over, I rushed home in time to make it to my daughter's first "fashion show" for Macy's. Then we came home and I crashed on the couch for a couple of hours. When I woke up, it was time for another round of letting the all dogs out for potty breaks. I looked over at the incubator and remembered that I hadn't checked it this morning. I dragged my feet over and pulled the door open…

Imagine my surprise! Everything was in order but there was something out of place in one egg box… Things looked a mess… I popped the top and all of these babies had made a disaster of my neatly organized, symmetrical egg box:
View attachment 234103
Everything was disheveled and in disarray!!!

Recapping: This was the first clutch ever laid by this female. There were 8 eggs. I now have 7 babies. I candled the last egg and it has the reddish color of a fertile egg, but it appears to be empty.
View attachment 234104

I quickly cleaned up all the mess and re-organized the egg box, but now what am I going to do with all these babies???

They are the cutest things ever!!! Congratulations Papa!
 
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Tom

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All of them are between 17 and 19 grams. They are very active and inquisitive and they are already nibbling on their greens. Today's menu consists of freshly sprouted grass, young mallow and a little young filaree.


So much variation in their patterns and shading:
IMG_5063.JPG
 

Cwilder

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Apr 20, 2016
Messages
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Yes. I want to hold on to them for at least a couple of months and get them started and growing well.

Excellent, I'm interested in a few. I used to keep Radiata for several years but I don't want to go thru permit process again at the moment. I'm not to far from you so let me know when you let some go.

Thanks,
Chad
 

Tom

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Excellent, I'm interested in a few. I used to keep Radiata for several years but I don't want to go thru permit process again at the moment. I'm not to far from you so let me know when you let some go.

Thanks,
Chad
Sounds great Chad. If this clutch is any indication of things to come, I should have many more hatching in the coming weeks. Another batch of two clutches went into the incubator 10 days after this one, so I should be able to give you unrelated babies if you'd like. I'll keep in touch.

I hear you on the permit process. That is one of the things that steered me onto this species instead of the radiata. I just don't have the time to do everything I want to do, so it was one or the other for me. Since then, radiata have sort of come my way, but that was unexpected. Both species are gorgeous and wonderful to work with.
 

Rusky

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Joined
Dec 19, 2017
Messages
161
Location (City and/or State)
Allentown, Pennsylvania
All of them are between 17 and 19 grams. They are very active and inquisitive and they are already nibbling on their greens. Today's menu consists of freshly sprouted grass, young mallow and a little young filaree.


So much variation in their patterns and shading:
View attachment 234272
Congratulations! They are so beautiful. Do you keep the eggshells in their tub for calcium?
 

AKTurtle1106

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5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2017
Messages
11
Location (City and/or State)
Svelvik, Norway
In June/July of 2013 I bought 10 babies from 3 different sellers. They were all 27-39 grams. For the first 6-9 months they didn't grow much and I was terrified that I was doing something wrong and that there was something about this species I didn't know or understand. In time they all started sprouting and by mid-2017 all 5 of the females had reached breeding size of 3000 or more grams. In August of 2017 I recorded weights of 3375, 3896, 3612, 3369 and 3789 for the females. Males were significantly smaller at 1559, 1454, 1065, 2283, and 1186.

As soon as they were all large enough to sex, I've had the females living separate from the males in different enclosures, indoors and out. I like to let females of every species grow up without being harassed by the maturing males. Males of this species aren't as aggressive/assertive as some other species, but they still did some occasional mounting and pushing and shoving of each other. The females never did any of that. Back in August of last year, once I saw the size my females had attained, I started putting all 10 of them together sometimes in the afternoon and evenings after soaking days. They really weren't together all that often. I had one female digging test holes soon after I started this practice. A different female was the first to lay on October 1st. She laid 8 eggs. Soon after, the test hole digger laid her first 7 eggs, then another, and another. I ended up getting multiple clutches from each female for a total of 84 eggs for the season. More than I could dreamed of for their first season and very limited contact with the males. To be honest, I really didn't expect any to hatch. First year moms, not much time with the males… I was hoping for at least a few babies from all the different clutches, but I really didn't expect any babies at all this first year.

Every morning I check the incubator. I make sure temp and humidity is correct, make sure there is enough water in my water tubs, check to see that the fans are running, make sure I don't smell any stinky rotten eggs, and, of course, I take a quick glance at all the eggs. These eggs sit there doing nothing for months. I check daily, but the eggs are just sitting there like usual day after day after day. Last night, Friday night, I worked a night job with my two malinois. We wrapped around 1am. I had to drive home, feed and potty the dogs, shower, clean tortoise waters for the next day and a few other chores before getting to bed. Then today, Saturday morning, I had to leave the house at 5am for a different job with a different dog. With so little sleep and so much to do, I didn't bother with checking the eggs this morning. When my job was over, I rushed home in time to make it to my daughter's first "fashion show" for Macy's. Then we came home and I crashed on the couch for a couple of hours. When I woke up, it was time for another round of letting the all dogs out for potty breaks. I looked over at the incubator and remembered that I hadn't checked it this morning. I dragged my feet over and pulled the door open…

Imagine my surprise! Everything was in order but there was something out of place in one egg box… Things looked a mess… I popped the top and all of these babies had made a disaster of my neatly organized, symmetrical egg box:
View attachment 234103
Everything was disheveled and in disarray!!!

Recapping: This was the first clutch ever laid by this female. There were 8 eggs. I now have 7 babies. I candled the last egg and it has the reddish color of a fertile egg, but it appears to be empty.
View attachment 234104

I quickly cleaned up all the mess and re-organized the egg box, but now what am I going to do with all these babies???

Congratulations on your babies. Love the markings!!
 

CatsinQ

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Joined
Nov 21, 2017
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Panama City Beach, FL
GOSH - they are the cutest little things! I wonder how the one with yellow spots on the center spine will look as an adult - all the others have black spots in the center. How big across are they? The size of a half dollar? Or bigger?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Joined
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Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Congratulations! They are so beautiful. Do you keep the eggshells in their tub for calcium?
I've heard multiple stories from people who have dug up nests after hatchlings have emerged on their own in the wild or in captivity. They report that the egg shells are gone, implying that the new hatchlings ate them while they were sitting underground and waiting to emerge. After hearing that, I decided to start giving my own hatchling the option. I don't know if they eat much egg shell, but it doesn't hurt anything to offer it.
 

Keith P.1961

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Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Messages
8
Congrats. I just bought 3 babies and am looking for more. What temperature did you incubate at? Please keep me posted on your available offspring.
 

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